Riding
on Skirt Hems
By
Deborah Camp
Every writer has other writers to thank for
inspiration, encouragement, and lessons learned. Although I have a Bachelor’s
degree in journalism, I learned how to be a novelist from other working writers
and from books I fell in love with and wanted to emulate.
I’ve studied – and still do, occasionally – novels
as my textbooks. Authors such as Phyllis Whitney, Mary Stewart, and Victoria
Holt sparked my interest in romantic suspense. I examined their sentence
structure, their dialogue, and their expertise with mood setting and describing
characters and action sequences.
Janet Dailey and Sandra Brown fired my imagination
with contemporary stories of people who were more familiar to me – more realistic
and sexier. I can’t begin to count how many hours I’ve spent going over and
over certain paragraphs and snippets of dialogue penned by these women. They
were my able tutors.
LaVyrle Spencer’s books challenged me to write
straight from the heart, elevate my prose, and take risks. To me, her novels
are works of art.
Lately, I’ve taken lessons from E.L. James, Abigail
Barrette, Sylvia Day, Roni Loren, Lisa Renee Jones, C.D. Reiss, and Mia
Sheridan. To say that I’m obsessed with the “Fifty” novels would be a gross
understatement. I’m enamored with each one of them and totally “gone” for
Christian Grey.
There are so many wonderful writers whose stories
and characters cling to my mind long after I finish their books. When I write,
I aspire to join them in their stratosphere. Sometimes I make it up there with
them, and let me tell you, the view from there is addictive. Visiting that
place makes me work harder and learn more as a writer so that I can breathe
that rarified air.
Through His Heart
Mind’s Eye
Book Three
Deborah Camp
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Paranormal
Date of Publication: June 30, 2015
ASIN: B00XZ8HWJG
Number of pages:357
Word Count: 93,461
Cover Artist: Pamela Schmitt
Book Description:
“Sending you an SOS.”
When psychic Trudy Tucker hears this plaintive cry in her mind and then connects psychically with a little girl’s kidnapper, she is drawn to a small town in Missouri where everyone is suspect – including herself and her lover, celebrated psychic detective Levi Wolfe. As she and Levi work together to sort through whom and what to trust, an innocent life hangs in the balance.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/7AFG88e98eM
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Available at Amazon
Excerpt:
“You don’t
realize how special you are, do you?”
Trudy smiled.
“Special to you.”
“Yes, and
special as a psychic.” Levi straightened, stood, and threw his leg over the
seat, sitting backwards in it to face her. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he
hauled her up against the back of the chair. “What I do isn’t anything special.
Talking to the deceased is a psychic staple. But what you can do . . .
connecting with the thoughts of a living being . . . that is rare. In fact, I
don’t know of anyone else who can actually do it. I know a couple of people who
claim to be able to, but you’re the only psychic I’ve ever met who is the
genuine article.”
She listened,
but found holes in his argument. “What you do is special. You told me yourself
that your accuracy sets you apart from other mediums.”
“Yes, that’s
right. I’m good. Damn good.” He winked at her. “But you’re a diamond among
crystals. You sparkle so brightly, you blind the rest of us.”
Her heart melted
into a puddle as he gazed at her with undisguised admiration. “I’m not . . . am
I? You really don’t know anyone who can do what I do?”
He shook his
head slowly, deliberately, his blue eyes shining. “Nary a one.” He regarded her
for a few moments before his lips twitched into a grin. “Does that freak you
out?”
“A little.” She
swallowed the lump in her throat so that her voice would emerge stronger.
“Quintara has told me that I’m one of a kind, but I figured she was
exaggerating – as she’s known to do.”
“This time your
flamboyant mentor wasn’t embellishing the truth.” He rested his hands on her
hips, his long fingers spreading across her jeaned backside. “At the risk of
freaking you out more, I think you’ve only begun to reveal the extent of what
you can do. You’re holding back because you’re afraid. I understand. I’ve been
there.” His fingers flexed on her hips. “Take your time. Let it come to you
gradually and don’t be scared. You’re strong and brave. You’ll be able to
handle it.”
“Handle what?”
She shook her head as a ball of nerves grew in her stomach.
“Your gift. Your
incredible gift.”
“You said you’d
help me.”
“And I will. I’m
here for you.”
She framed his
achingly handsome face in her hands and her heart doubled in size. “How’d I get
so lucky?”
“I’m the lucky
one.” He turned his face so that he could kiss her palm, but not before she saw
darkness pass through his eyes like a specter. “And you’ll agree with me
whole-heartedly once we’re in Missouri.”
About the Author:
Author of more than 45 novels, Deborah lives in Oklahoma. She has been a full-time writer since she graduated from the University of Tulsa. Her background as a newspaper reporter and editor helped her to write fast and enjoy research. After she sold her first few books, she quit newspaper work to become a freelance writer and novelist. Deborah's first novel was published in the late 1970s and her books have been published by Jove, New American Library, Harlequin, Silhouette, and Avon. She has been inducted into the Oklahoma Authors Hall of Fame and she is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America. She is also a member of the Author's Guild. She is an active volunteer with the Animal Rescue Foundation and is a foster home for dogs until they find their forever homes.
2 comments:
Thank you for allowing me to post something on your blog and for featuring my book! You perform a wonderful service for writers like me.
I Enjoyed the excerpt, sounds like a great book, thanks for sharing!
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